


The Katie Problem

by timeiswasting



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Crushes, F/M, Kinda, Kinda?, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, Requited Love, and he's actually happy with it, first plants work!, for biiiiiirdy because its her birthday and she is wonderful!, lance realises something, pidge is pining this whole thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 15:01:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13526730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeiswasting/pseuds/timeiswasting
Summary: He hadn’t noticed it was happening until one day, when Katie had hugged him after a close call. She’d jumped at him and the feeling of her arms around his neck had made Lance’s heart stutter. He hadn’t wanted to let her go.Since then he’d had moments like that quite often





	The Katie Problem

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



 

Lance stomped into the rec room, his whole body aching from the gruelling mission they’d just come back from. They’d gotten back half an hour or so ago and Lance, desperate to get out of his sweaty armour but too tired to do his whole washing routine, had jumped into a quick shower and found some soft pj’s. He’d picked up new ones since they came to the castle, preferring softer material to the shiny, smooth fabric of the ones supplied by the castle.

Once through the doors he paused for a second to make sure the others were in good view, and upon confirming it, let out a long, pitiful groan and continued forward to the sunken couches, purposefully exaggerating a slow, pained looking gait.

Hunk, Pidge and Allura all looked up at him from where they were sat, expressions all a familiar mix of exasperation. As soon as Pidge had seen that Lance was, as predicted, alright after all, she rolled her eyes and laid her head back against the back of the sofa. Hunk and Allura were sat together and continued as before with their conversation. As Lance got closer he realised Allura was updating Hunk on the Blade’s movements in a badly disguised attempt at pretending she wasn’t talking specifically about Keith in particular.

 _Of course_ , Lance thought with a scowl.

Everyone, even Lance, missed Keith around the castle, but his absence had highlighted how close the princess and the pilot had become and it irked Lance. Although not as much as it had before. Maybe there would always be a part of Lance that was a little in love with Allura, it was hard for anyone not to be, but he had long ago accepted that his feelings were almost completely unrequited, and Lance was just happy they were good friends at the very least.

Despite this, Lance still felt the need to ask Pidge, “Are they talking about Keith _again_? We just kicked ass out there, I don’t remember seeing Keith!” as he flopped down beside her.

He kicked one leg up and onto Pidge’s knees and left the other spread out on the floor in front of the sofa. He leaned back against the cushions, mirroring her position.

She slowly rolled her head towards him, eyes half closed and expression blank. She must have been tired because she hadn’t noticed how close the action put her face to Lance’s. For a second Lance got distracted, noticing the tiny round chickenpox scar under her right eye. When he realised he was staring he felt his face heat and sat up abruptly, causing Pidge to grumble as he jostled her leg underneath his.

Ah yes, there was also the Thing with Pidge. He wasn’t entirely sure when that had started but it was becoming more and more of an issue.

Pidge still hadn’t said anything, instead she’d closed her eyes.  

“Hey!, Lance called, his voice quieter than he intended, pulling back from poking Pidge in the last second, it felt wrong to bug her when she was so clearly exhausted.

“Why are you so tired huh Pidge?” he asked.

Pidge frowned slightly at the question, sitting straighter and rubbing her eyes tiredly, seemingly trying to wake herself up a little. Lance felt his cheeks heat at the softness of her actions.

He was being weird. Again.

“I was up late talking to Matt last ni-“she paused, frowning, “this morning actually, I guess.”

“Talking nerd stuff?”, Lance then tried to imitate Pidge’s voice, “Have you made any progress on triangulating the location of the quantum, Einstein flub capacawhatsit?” He finished his impression by imitating pushing glasses up his nose.

Pidge tried a scowl, something she was an expert in, but there was laughter pushing through it.

Smiling, she said, flat toned, “Yes Lance, that is exactly what we were talking about. That and the maths behind interdimensional travel, you know it’s actually very complicated, I can explain it to you right no if y-“

Lance shoved a hand over her mouth, “NO no no no no no no no no, I am fine with it being a mystery, I don’t need your nerd stuff clogging up my brain!”  

His thought process was interrupted by Pidge licking the palm of Lance’s hand. Used to siblings and instinctually knowing flinching from it was a move fit for only the weakest of men, Lance held his hand where it was. Pidge then went to wrestle his arm away from her mouth, giving Lance the chance to hold Pidge still with one arm and rub his saliva covered hand on her face. He laughed loudly as she squawked in protest.

Then she brought her knee up and caught him in the stomach, grinning when he let out an grunt of pain. In retaliation, Lance went for her middle, tickling her mercilessly. Her peals of outraged laughter finally brought the attention of the other to the pair.  

He heard both Hunk and Allura laugh, Hunk’s deep, warm chuckle along with Allura’s delicate giggles. He’d forgotten they were there.

At that moment, Pidge finally managed to get an arm free to push at Lance’s face until his leg slipped and he slid off the sofa.

“Oi!” He cried up at Pidge.

She leaned over the edge of the sofa, her cheeks red from laughing and her hair in a soft, messy halo around her head, “HA!”

He pointed a finger in her face accusingly, “I am a Paladin of Voltron, I shall not be treated this way!”

Her answering snort was softer than usual, and Lance felt himself smile, watching her expression shift. A familiar feeling wormed his way up through his chest. He knew what it was, but he elected to ignore it for now. He could re-examine the _Katie_ problem later.

The doors to the rec room opened. Lance sat up lazily to see Shiro walk in, looking rather sheepish.

“What’s up with you?” He asked at the same time the others called out friendly greetings.

Shiro nodded at them and stepped down into the centre, sitting near Hunk.

“I was playing a boardgame with Coran…”

“Ah!” Allura cried, sitting up straighter, an amused smile on her face, “Photrin! Coran’s always been good at that one, he’s been complaining about having no one new to play it with for a while now. I was wondering when he’d rope one of you in.” She was smiling, with a glitter of mischief in her blue eyes.

Shiro nodded, his face still slightly unsure looking, “I don’t think I got it quick enough, he left for his room after I messed up the fourth game...”

They all laughed, finding it amusing that a board game was the thing to finally beat Shiro, of all things.

Allura chuckled, “I never got the hang of it myself, I’ve always told him if he’s can’t get along with others, he should just play with himself.”

All three younger humans snorted at that, Katie catching Lance’s eye and raising an eyebrow.

The princess looked puzzled and Shiro sent them all an exasperated look.

“What’s funny?” Allura asked, “Have I missed something?”

“It’s funny because ‘play with himself’ sounds like-“Hunk started.

“No, nope, not doing that.” Shiro said, covering Hunk’s mouth with his hand.

“But I want to know!” Allura cried, pouting. She hated being left out of earth stuff.

Lance smiled at the familiarity of it all, sharing a look with Katie who rolled her eyes. They all knew how this went. One of the paladins made an innuendo, Allura would inquire, someone would attempt to explain it and Shiro would stop them. Allura would then complain and eventually site her being a princess as a reason Shiro could not prevent them telling her. Usually the other paladins spent the next vargas laughing at a tired looking Shiro trying to find a polite way of explaining it.

It was funnier when Keith was present because he’d usually go red in the face and generally look very uncomfortable.

Hunk sat between Allura and the older Paladin, watching with delight as Allura implored Shiro to explain.

Above him, he heard Katie yawn, a sweet sound from her small frame.

“Hey, you heading to bed?” he asked.

Katie shot a last glance at the other three, then nodded and sat up, “You too?”

“Yup! I’m exhausted after carrying the whole mission on my shoulders, _again_ ” he declared with a stretch.

She didn’t dignify him with a verbal response, instead, smacking lightly on the side of the head.

They got up at the same time, calling goodbyes to the others, although Allura was too occupied to reply.

The two walked in a comfortable silence, the soft sound of their footsteps and the hum of the castle the only noise. In the quiet Lance found himself pondering on the girl walking next to him, more specifically, the change in their relationship as of late.

Lance had known Katie for well over two years now, although, the time he knew her at the Garrison didn’t feel as though it counted; Katie hiding her true personality away so well. And Voltron had changed a lot, the constant fighting, the team work, the fear of losing one of the team on every mission… it changed a lot about his relationships with the whole team, but there was something different about Katie.

He hadn’t noticed it was happening until one day, when Katie had hugged him after a close call. She’d jumped at him and the feeling of her arms around his neck had made Lance’s heart stutter. He hadn’t wanted to let her go.

Since then he’d had moments like that quite often. Suddenly all the ways Lance was usually physical with his friends felt too much with Pidge, they could be hanging out in the rec room, or helping Coran with some maintenance and he’d get the sudden urge to hold her hand or tuck her head under his chin, ridiculous things like that. Eye contact, teasing, compliments suddenly brought a blush to his cheeks.

He tried to brush it off for the longest time, but the increased attention he was suddenly paying to Katie meant he started to notice…Things. Like, when he’d catch her watching him out of the corner of his eye, the tiniest blush flushing her cheeks, or how, despite telling him he was annoying her, she always let him sit with her while she worked on something, letting him talk on about nothing much at all, sometimes dropping her work altogether to listen to him.

That never used to happen before.

They were friends, good friends, better with each day…but there was something Other about them now. And Lance worried (or hoped, he wasn’t sure) that if Lance had noticed those things about Katie, that she may have noticed the same things with him. And he wasn’t sure what to do with that.

The thing was, this thing with Katie felt _real_ , felt like something that could actually mean something. It felt too much to risk with his usual bravado. With Katie, he didn’t just feel giddy with her, like a short term crush, he felt calm and warm and _known._ She knew him, she understood him without him having to explain, and as much as she’d poke fun at him and roll her eyes, she saw what mattered.

It felt so good, intimate and unguarded.

He felt his face warm, a smile turning his cheeks.

Katie poked him, peering into his face with a frown.

“What’s that face for? What are you smiling about…” she trailed off, laughing softly when Lance’s smile turned sheepish.

He shrugged, tucking his hands in his pockets when his fingers twitched to grab the hand she’d poked him with.

Katie shook her head at him a little, her hair falling into her eyes, the smile still in place. For a moment or so they just looked at each other, the warm thing between coiling tighter.

They reached Katie’s door first, sooner than Lance expected. He tried to push down the slight tinge of disappointment that arose.

The two of them smiled at each other again, Katie tipping her head to one side, her fringe flopping over one eye, in a motion that made Lance’s chest clench with longing.

Without much thought, Lance spread him arms for a hug, that, much to his joy, Katie walked into without hesitation, wrapping her small arms around his waist and tucking her head close to his chest. Her hair felt soft under Lance’s chin. He sighed happily.

“Night Lance” Katie whispered, her voice intimate in the cavernous corridor.

He squeezed her shoulders in response, dipping his head down to rest his cheek against the top of her head. He wouldn’t swear on it, but he thought Katie let out a release a small, happy sigh.

“Night Katie,” he reluctantly let her go, “sleep well.”

The two watched each other for a moment longer before Lance shook himself and turned slowly to walk towards his room, a lightness is his chest he hadn’t felt in a while.

When he looked over his shoulder, Katie was leaning back against the door frame, her arms cradling her middle and a flush on her cheeks. When she caught his eye for the last time, and smiled at him, Lance had to resist the urge to run back over and hug her all over again.

His door opened as he stepped closer and he lifted his hand in a small wave before stepping through the doorway.

So yes, the Katie Problem was growing, but Lance didn’t think he could call it a problem anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIRDY (@ohsweetmilky on tumblr)!!!!!!  
> Sorry it's a bit late in the day but last minute editing took much longer than anticipated  
> Hope you enjoy this, as you are the queen of plance!  
> EDIT: some major editing has been done and i'm much happier with it now!


End file.
